Capping-head for bottle-capping machines.



J. & J. A. BUTKUS. GAPPING HEAD POR BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1911.

PLANOGRAPH c J. & J. A. BUTKUS. 'CAPPING HEAD PoR BOTTLE GAPPING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1911.

Patented Deo. 2, 1913.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

JOSEPH EU'TKUS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND JOHN A. BUTHUS, OE BALTIMORE, MARY- LAND, ASSIGNOEs, EY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OE ONE-THIRD To SAID JOSEPH BUTKUS., ONE-THIRD To SAID JOHN A. BUTKUS, AND ONE-THIRD To AUGUST EEEN,

F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAPPING-HEAD FOR BOTTLE-CAPPING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application led September 18, 1911. Serial No. 649,785.

To all whom t may concern.' f

Be it known that we, JOSEPH BUTKUs and JOHN A. BUTNUS, citizens of the United States, and residing, respectively, at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, and Baltimore, Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Capping-Heads for Bottle- Capping Machines, of which the following is a complete specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved capping head for bottle capping machines; to provide a device adapted for use in capping bottles with metallic caps such as the original crown cap, or caps such as shown in Patent No. 935,296, for bottle closures, issued to us September 28, 1909; to provide a capping head in which the crimping mechanism is adapted to be adjusted t0 compensate for wear; to provide a device adapted to truly center the caps on the bottles; to provide a device adapted, while the cap is being placed on the bottle, to depress its central portion suiciently to bring it into binding engagement with the throat of the bottle and fo-rm a perfect seal; to provide a device which can easily be attached toany of the well known makes of capping machines; to provide a device adapted to true up caps which have become distorted either during their formation or while being placed on the bottles, and thereby prevent considerable waste of caps; and to provide a strong, and simple device adapted to cap bottles with great eiiiciency.

Specific embodiments ofthe invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of a capping head of a bottling ma-` chine embodied in this invention.A ,Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the capping head taken between the prongs of the crimping head and Showing the parts in position at the end of the capping stroke. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the capping head showing a modified form of the crimping head. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section, with the parts, in the position they assume at the end of the capping operation. Fig. 5 is a view similar'to Fig. 4 but showing the center depressing device adjusted to Strike deeper into the caps. Figs. 6 and 7 are sections of caps with which our invention is particularly adaptable for iead comprises a tubular sleeve or shell 1 having an internally threaded upper end in which is rigidly secured a top cap 2 having an internal bearing or guide fiange 3. The lower end of the sleeve l is externally screw threaded and a bottle centering piece 4 has threaded engagement thereon and is provided with an internal flange 5 which projects inwardly at the bottom of the sleeve, and is concaved on its under surface 6 so as to guide the bottle neck 7 (see Figs. 2, 4 and 5) into the capping head.

In the lower portion' of the sleeve l, in the construction Shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is the stop flange 8 which is screw threaded, and the crimping head or tool 9 has threaded engagement at its upper end in said flange, and is adapted to be locked in adjusted position by a lock nut 10. The crimping head 9 is provided with a plurality of longitudinal slits 11 forminga plurality of yielding fingers or prongs 9a. Said slits 11 eX- pencill to near the upper end of the crimping lea The inner wall of the shell or casing l below the fiange 8 (see Figs. 1 and 2) is provided with an inclined or beveled surface 12, and the ngers or prongs of the crimping head 9 are each provided with an external flange or member 13 (each flange or member 13 being in the same horizontal plane) each of which is provided with a beveled surface complementary to, and adapted to coact with the beveled surface 12, so that when the crimping member or head 9 is adjusted or moved upwardly by screwing it into the flange 8, the fingers or prongs of said crimping member or head will be forced inwardly toward each other, thereby compensating for the wear of the surface 14. By adjusting the crimping head 9 in an opposite direction, namely downward or toward the lower end of the casing 1 by partially unscrewing the head from the Harige 8, the fingers or prongs of said crimping head will be permitted to expand. In short, the end of said crimping member or head 9 is both contractible and expansible, with the result that the opening between the fingers or prongs may be regulated (see Figs. 1 and 2). Said crimping surface is an elongated bevel on the inner surface of the lower portion of the crimping head adapted to engage the flange 15 of the bottle cap 16 and crimp it into the groove 17 of the bottle neck 7. Seated in grooves in the outer side of' the crimping head are the hooks 19 which project at their lower ends through notches in the lower end of the crimping head in position to engage and hold the caps in posit-ion to receive the bottles. Each hook is provided with a spring 20 on its back or outer side which acts to normally hold the hook in operative position, and the upper end 21 ofthe hook is rounded to permit it to swing sufficiently for the point of the hook to go into land out of operative position. Springs 22 are seated in the upper ends of the hooks and bear against the flange 13 and act normally to hold the hooks down on the flange 5 regardleL-is of the position of' the crimping head. The under surface 23 of the points of the hooks are rounded or beveled so that when the cap is lbeing inserted in the head it will yforce the hooks back to let it pass.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive, the sleeve 1 is provided with a stop flange 8a which is not threaded, and between which and the flange 5 on the bottle centering piece 4 is the crimping head or tool 24 adapted to crimp the flange 15 into the groove of the bottle neck. The crimping head 24 has a crimping surface 14 the saine as the head 9, but the head 24 is solid instead of split, `and is held in place by the flange 5 of the centering piece 4 which holds it against the flange 8a. The head 24 is provided with cap hooks 25, which are simply seated in the grooves or recesses 26 in the head and are held -in operative position by springs 20.

Within the sleeve 1 is the vertically movable plunger 27 which is `provided with a reduced upper end 28y having a bearing in the guide flange 3. The lower end 29 of the plunger projects into the flange 8 or 8a which forms a guide therefor. Near the lower end of the plunger 27 is a peripheral flange 30 adapted to rest on the stop flange 8 or 8a when the plunger is at its lower limit of movement. A relatively stiff coiled spring 31 surrounds the plunger and bears at its upper end against t-he flange 3, and at itslower end against the flange 30, and normally acts to hold the plunger at its lower limit of movement in t-he sleeve 1.

The lower Vportion of the plunger 27 is provided with an axial bore 32 which is screw threaded at its upper end 33, and secured therein is the adjustable center depressor 34 for the caps. The depressor 34 has its upper end 35 threaded to engage the threads in the upper end of the bore 32. A set screw 36 is mounted in the side of the plunger in position to engage the threaded portion of the depressor and hold the depressor in adjusted position. The depressor is provided on its lowerhend with a depressing button 'or member 37 adapted to depress the central portion of the lbottle caps 16. The lower portion of the depressor has a slot 38 in which a screw driver or other tool may be inserted to adjust the depresso-r in the bore, and which permits the button to yield inwardly and prevent its breaking the bot-tle should the throat be too small.

The lower end'ofithe depres'sor -34 extends below the lower end of ythe plunger, and the cap centering and forming sleeve 39 is slidably supported thereon. The sleeve 39 has an inwardly directed flange 40 at its upper end which normally rests o-n the top of the button 37 when said sleeve 39 is at the lower limit of its movement, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and which contacts with ythe end 29 'of the plunger when the sleeve 39 is at the upper limit of its movement, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. The lower end 41 of the sleeve 39 is concaved to fit the curvature of the bottle cap `and center it truly in the capping head. A coiled spring 42 is carried on the ldepressor beneath the threaded portion and engages at one end against a shoulder 43 in the bore 32, and at its other sealing member or disk fits snugly within Y the cap. Vhen employing this type of cap, the depressor 34 is adjusted so that its head 37 will enter said depression 44 a-nd make the same deeper in the operation of the machine, with the result that the cap will be clamped firmly about the edges of the mouth of the bottle. In Fig. 7, a cap is shown having a deeper depression in its top than that shown in Fig. 6, and the sealing member 45 being in the form of a ring adapted to fit in and completely fill the annular channel 46. This type of cap is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of our `prior pat-ent hereinbefore referred to. The depressor 34 is adjusted to operate 'on thislatt'er nform of cap in the same manner as in the previous f'orm above mentioned. It is to be of course understood that the depressorfm'ay be adjusted so that it will imake `a depression in a cap not originally having a depression.

Theoperation of the constructions shown is as follows: The capping head is placed in the capping machine and the bottle caps are fed thereinto and held in place by the hooks 19 or 25. The bottles are then placed beneathv thecapping head and as the head is brought down onto thebottle, the bottle centering piece 4 centers thebottle in the capping head, and as the cap centering and fo-rming sleeve 39 engages the top of the cap it centers the cap on the bottle. Further downward movement of the capping head causes the sleeve 39 to compress the spring 42 until the sleeve abuts against the lower end of the plunger and the spring 31 causes the sleeve 39 to force the bottle cap firmly down onto the upper end of the bottle. At the same time the depressing button 37 of the depressor 34 contacts with the top of the cap and depresses it centrally more or less to cause the cap to bind firmly in the outer end of the throat of thevbottle. As the cappinghead descends the crimping head 9 or 24 engages the fiange 15 of the bottle cap and forces it into the groove 17 of the bottle. Should the bottle neck be slightly under sized so that the crimping head does not crimp the flange firmly into the groove the plunger may yield upwardly against the tension of the spring 3l, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, to permit the crimp to be completed. If the crimping surface 14 of the crimping head 9 becomes worn, the lock nut 10 may be loosened and the head 9 screwed up farther into the flange 8. The beveled surface 12 acting on the 'flange 13 as the head 9 travels inwardly will spring the prongs of the head together sufficiently to compensate for the wear. j

Vhere original plain crown caps are used they are ofttimes bulged slightly outwardly centrally thereof, and if this defect is not remedied leakage will often. take place. When our invention is used in capping, the depressor will force the bulged portion back to normal position, and, if desired,may form a slight depression in the cap to cause the sealing disk to bind more firmly on the top of the bottle.V

Vhen the cap shown in Fig. 6 is employed the depressor enters the depression 44 of the cap and by forcing it slightly downwardly or inwardly causes the cap to bind firmly in the throat of the bottle. When a cap such as shown in Fig. 7 is employed, with a deep depression, the depressing member 34 is adjusted to extend deeper into the throat of the bottle. Since the depressor is slit all danger of breaking the bottle is avoided,

The depressor 34 may be adjusted vertically in the plunger so as to regulate the amount of compression which it will exert on the bottle cap. j

Vith this device caps which have been slightly distorted will be readily brought back to original form and firmly secured on the bottle.

It will be understood that many details of the constructions shown may be varied or omitted without departing from the scope of the claims.

We claim: j

1. A capping head for bottle capping machines comprising a plunger, means adapted to operate the plunger, a yielding cap centering device on the plunger, and means adapted to depress the cap centrally.

2. A capping head 'for bottle capping machines, comprising a plunger, a depressor adjustably mounted on the plunger adapted to depress the center of the cap, and a cap centering device yieldingly mounted on the depressor.

3. A capping head for bottle capping machines, comprising a vertically movable plunger, a depressor mounted in the plunger and adapted to be adjusted to depress the cap centrally to a greater or less degree, a cap centering sleeve mounted on the depressor, and a spring on the depressor adapted to normally hold the sleeve at the lower limit of its movement.

4. A capping head for bottle capping machines, comprising a sleeve, means adapted to center a bottle neck in the sleeve, a plunger yieldingly mounted in the sleeve, a depressor adjustably mounted in the plunger, a cap centering and forming sleeve mounted on the depressor adapted to engage the cap and center it on the bottle, and a spring on the depressor adapted to normally hold the centering sleeve at the lower limit of its movement.

5. A capping head for bottle capping machines, comprising a sleeve, a plunger movably mounted in the sleeve, a spring adapted to normally hold the plunger at the lower limit of its movement, a Vdepressor mounted in the plunger and adapted to be adjusted to depress the caps centrally, a centering sleeve on the depressor and' normally eX- tending below the same, a spring adapted to normally hold the centering sleeve at the lower limit of its movement, and means adapted to secure the cap on the bottle.

6. In a bottle capping machine, a capping head, comprising a yieldably mounted plunger, a depressor having endwise adjust able connection with said plunger and adapted to depress the central portion of the top of the cap, and a cap centering device yieldably mounted on said plunger.

7 In a bottle capping machine, a capping head, comprising a casing, a crimping member having endwise adjustable connection with said casing and provided with a contractible end, a plunger mounted in said casing and movable relative to said crimping member, coacting means on said casing and said crimping member, adapted to contract the end of said crimping member, when the same is adjusted endwise in a. direction away from the bottle entering end of said casing and a cap centering device movable relatively to said plunger.

8. In a bottle capping machine, a capping head, comprising a casing, a crimping member having endwise adjustable connection with said casing, and provided with an eX- pansible and contractible end, a plunger mounted in said casing and movable relative to said crimping member, coacting means on the casing and the crimping member adapted to act on the eXpansible and contractible end thereof when the crimping member is adjusted endwise for regulating the opening in its end, and a cap centering device having yieldable connection with said plunger, adapted to center the cap on the bottle.

9. In a bottle capping machine, a capping head, comprising a casing, a crimping member having endwise adjustable connection with said casing and embracing a longitudinally split sleeve, a plunger movable relative to said crimping member; at least one of the split sections of said sleeve being provided with parts adapted to contact with means on said casing for regulating the opening between the split sections of said sleeve when the crimping member is adjusted endwise and a cap centering device movable relatively to said plunger.

l0. In a bottle capping machine, a capping head, comprising a casing, a crimping member having endwise adjustable connection with said casing, a plunger mounted in said casing and movable relative to said crimping member, said crimping member embracing a plurality of longitudinally eX- tending fingers; each of said fingers being 'provided with a fixed part having an inclined surface in contact with a complementary inclined surface of said casing, for regulating the opening between said fingers in the endwise adjustment of said crimping member, and means for retaining the crimping member in any position of its adjustment.

11. In -a bottle capping machine, a capping head, comprising a casing, the inner wall of which being provided with an inclined surface, a crimping member located inand having endwise adjustable connection with said casing, a plunger mounted in said casing and movable relative to said crimping member, said crimping member embracing a longitudinally split sleeve; the split sections of said sleeve being provided with parts having inclined surfaces adapted to coact with the inclined surface on the inner wall of said casing, for regulating the opening between the split sections of said sleeve in the endwise adjustment of the crimping member, and a cap centering device having operative connection with and movable relatively to said plunger.

l2. In a bottle capping machine, a capping head, comprising a casing, an annular member fixed in said casing, a crimping member located in said casing and having endwise adjustable connection with said annular member, a` spring controlled plunger mounted in said casing and movable relative to said crimping member, said crimping member embracing a longitudinally split sleeve; the split sections of said sleeve being provided with parts adapted to coact with means in said casing for regulating the opening between the split sections of said sleeve, in the endwise adjustment of said crimping member, and cap holding hooks mounted between said crimping member and the casing.

13. In a bottle capping machine, a cap-v ping head, comprising a spring controlled plunger, a crimping member, a depressor having a contractible head adapted to contact with the top of the cap and depress the central portion thereof, and means providing connection for said depressor with said plunger permitting endwise adjustment of the former with respect to the latter.

14. In a bottle capping machine, Va capping head, comprising a hollow casing, a plunger movably mounted in said casing, a spring adapted to normally hold said plunger in operative position, an annular member fixed in said casing, a lcrimping member located in said casing and having endwise adjustable connection with said annular member and embracing a longitudinally split sleeve; each split section of said sleeve being provided with a fixed part having an inclined surface adapted to coact with a complementary inclined surface formed on the inner wall of said casing, a depressor connected with said plunger' adapted to contact with the top of a cap and depress the central portion thereof, a cap centering device movably mounted on said depressor, and a spring acting on said cap centering device to maintain the same in its operative position.

In testimony whereof I, JOSEPH BUTKUS, have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH BUTKUS. Witnesses IV. YV. VVITHE'RBURY, Roer. KLor'z. In testimony whereof I, JOHN A. BUTnUs, have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. BUTKUS. Witnesses:

GUSTAV BLUMBERG, ALONZA S'HDHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner-of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

